Multiple piston mechanism.



R. J. MGCARTY. MULTIPLE PISTON MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 13.20, 1909.

Patented Dec. 6, 191).

'4 SHEETS -sHgET 1.

R J MCGARTY MULTIPLE PIsToN MEGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1909.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 24 R. J. MGCARTY. MULTIPLE PISTON MEGHANISM. APPLIUATION FILED APR. zo, 1909.

977,816. Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

w gw /W APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1909, 977,81 6..

R. J. MGGARTY. MULTIPLE PIsToN- MEGHANISM.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

DMS/fr Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

`plurality of pistons are radially-arranged in l able guides, and in place of the customary 5 with its compactness and the minimum of fric- Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and ton ltleclianisins,

`late rectilinear into rotary motion or the 'to turn, thereby reducing' the friction as 'ring acts somewhat as ar universal connect enabled to provide a mechanism of this charture, and quite unlikely to get out of order tini'rnn sriiriis Parana carinii.

RICHARD i. iviCeAnTY, or KANSAS CITY, iviissouni.

MULTIPLE Pisron iviiicig'anisivr.

afasie.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I Bici-IARD J. M cQAiiri', a citizen of the United States, residing at State of Missouri, have invented certain new and'luscful Improvements in Multiple lisI of lwhich the following is a specification.

This invention pertains todevices in general employing a plurality of power pistons sliding in their respective chambers in coinbinatioii and cooperative relation with an off-set, or cranked shaft, with power transmitting means between the shaft andpistoiis, it being quite immaterial whether the shaft p drives the pistons, Aas in an air compressor or pump, or the pistons rotate the shaft, as in a steam, liydrocarbon, or similar engine. Heretofore, as far as I am advised, no one has been able to produce or provide a suitable device, of this character wherein the a single plane, the crank or olf-set part of the shaft being in thesame plane, and the appliance having power transmitting' means between the same. In a device embodying my invention I not only successfully attain these desired results, but I am also able to reduce the friction to a minimum by the employment of rolling contacts wherever permissible or possible.` In place of the usual sliding cross-head I employ rollers orl guide-wheels co-acting with suitconnecting rods or pitmen used to transreverse, 'I provide contacting rollers free much, as possible. `One of such rollers or driving rings is mounted on the' cranked part of the shaft and cooperates or contacts individual rollers or antifriction wheels, one of which is rotarily mounted on each piston. The crank rolleror driving By the employment of these means I am acter which is extremely simple in construe tion, comparatively inexpensive to manufac or require material repairs.- Some of its leading and principal features are, however,

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application Ied'Aprl 20, 1909.

tion produced during the yoperation of tlievi mechanism, p i L Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

semi No. isrise.

Succinctly stated, this invention relates to improved and simple means for translating rectilinear motion into rotary or the reverse. l

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferred and desirable embodiment of this invention, throughout the various views of which like reference characters refer tothe same parts.

' In these drawingsFigure 1 is an clevation of the device, certain parts being in section and partially broken away to more clearly indicate the construction; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device on Va somewhat larger scale; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line SH3 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4L is a ver` tical section at right angles to that shown in Fig. 3, being taken on line 4-#4 of Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring to these drawings, it will be noted that 'the main frame 10 of the 'machine is supported on a pair of legs 11, 1l and is provided with a plurality, in the present instance four, of radially-arranged cylinders or piston chamberslQ, 13, 141. and 15, disposed 90 degrees apart and all located in the same plane. On opposite sides of each of these chambers cr cylinders, and extended inwardly therefrom toward the center of the main casting, is a pair of guides 1G, 1G having adjacent fiat, parallel, guiding surfaces, it being understooiil, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4t, that the casting or main frame is recessed or cored out at 1'7 between these guides on the opposite portions thereof..

Slidablc in the four cylinders or piston chambers above referred to, I employ a like number of pistons or plungei's 1S, 19, 20 andv 2l, each supplied with suitable packing rings Q2 to maintain the usual desirablel lugs 23 through the open spares in casting- 10` between the guides 16,-as is clearly indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. Eetweeii the ears 223 of cach pistonl loosely mount ony the shaft or pin Q5 a eylindric: lpower roller 26,

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all four of 4which bear against the outer the standards 34 and and 29 of the bushing or ing understood thatone of such assembling' these apartv a `suitable distance Vto accommodate between them the inwardly-.projected fin il 'maintain in proper position the various cylindrical surface of a driving ring27 rotatable with a divided sleeve or bushing, the two parts of which are characterized 28 and 29, mounted on the cylindrical, cranked, or off-set portion 30 of a main power shaft 3l supported and rotatable in a pair of companion bearings 32 and 33, supported and held in place in any suitable manner as by 35, respectively. As is indicated in Fig. 3, the driving ring 2T, since it is of substantially the saine length as the distance between the inner faces of the crank arms 36 of the oif-set portion of shaft 31, is prevented by these arms from shifting lengthwise or longitudinally of the shaft. Corrcspondingly, the two parts28 sleeve between the ring and shaft are prevented from similar shifting, being held together by the removable cotter-pin 37, the round head and split ends of which are housed within and protected by suitable cavities or recesses in the ends of the bushing parts, it being understood thatcomparatively long registering grooves in the meeting faces of the bushing form a hole or aperture for the reception of the main body of such retaining cotter. In parts the driving ring 2T is .slipped lengthwise over the shaft, and when 1t registers' with thc cranked or off-set portion thereof it is shifted laterally, as indicated, for example, in Fig. 3, in which posi'- tion the two parts of the bushing or sleeve 28, 29 may be put in place and held against y relative longitudinal movement by the cotter-pin.

As is clearly shown, the power rollers 26 are of substantially thel same lenvth and thickness as the distance between the arms 23, whereby their displacement is obviously prevented. Loosely rotatable on each pin or shaft 25 and bearing against the outer fiat faces ofthe arms 23 I provide a pair of guide wheels 38, 38 of the same diameter as the distance between the guiding surfaces of the guides 16, 16 on which these wheels are adapted to travel to maintain the proper rectilinear reciprocation of the pistons or plungers; in other words, these guiding wheels or rollers perform the function of and correspond to the crees-heads of engines, compressors, or pumps.

Outside of eachof the guide-wheels 38 on .each of the shafts or pins 25, I provide a pair of secondary rollers 39 and 40 spaced of la floating 1 pistonretracting ring yt2 against the inner surface of which the rollers 3 9 and 40 of the four shafts 25 Contact, it berings .and its' complement of secondaryrollers is provided at each' side of the machine. .In order to wheels androllers'on the shaft 2 5, each end l of each of such shafts is su plied with a colf lar 43 pinned to the sha t by a cotteret4 passed through registering apertures in the two parts. By this means all of the freelyrotatable rollers and wheels on the shaft are maintained in proper relation and position.

It is to be understoodthat a multlple piston mechanism of this character is suscep tible of a variety of uses and employments, and in order that one of such may be herein indicated, I `have illustratedthis invention as applied to an air compressor. Its various features concerning the air admission and discharge, the valve control, the water cooling forthe cylinders, and the hollow pistons or plungers, have b een clearly illustrated in the drawings, but inasmuch as this invention relates more particularly'to the plurality of pistons, the crank shaft, the transmission mechanism between the two,

and the floating rings employed for retracting the pistons, a detailed description of these parts of the compressor is not deemed necessary.' Suffice it to state that the air is admitted to Athe cylinders through the inlet pipes 45 and admission valves 46, being discharged through the outlet valves '17 and pipes 48 connected to the common discharge pipe 49, whereas the cooling water forthe cored-out chambers 50 and 51 of the mainl castingI l0 is admitted to and discharged from these interior cavities and the hollow interiors` of the pistons by suitable piping, parts =of which are indicated in the drawings. t

The operation of t e device is practically as follows: Assuming that the shaft 3l is rotated by any suitable means, not shown, it will be apparent that as the eccentric or off-set part- 30 travels around, the driving ring 27, freely rotatable thereon and bearing against the power rollers 26 of the va-A rious pistons, will force thesepistonsor plungers outwardly gradually and in succession, acting, if this operating mechanism is emplo ed 1n an airvcompressor, to compress an discharge the air from the chambers, 'and if desired s'uch chambers may be compounded so that the air compressed in one' will be further compressed in another one. It is obvious that this eccentric shaft of itself will not draw these pistons inwardly after having forced them radially outwardly, and consequently'the piston-retracting floati'ny rings 42 are used in corn-l bination with t e secondary rollers 39 and 40 to pull the have completed their 'outward travel, it be` ing apparent 4that the pistons whichjl'are beingforced outwardly act through this ring to draw in the other pistons ready for another outward `travel for further compression. tained concentric to the crankpart 30 of the shaft 31, although they have no direct conpistons inwardly after they v The pair of rings 42 will-.be mains ror the reverse.

neotion with the same. By means of the parts described, and especially the iloating rings 42, the power rollers otl the plurality of pistons are at all times maintained in intimate contact with the driving ring' so that the device will not be subjcctto ai' and shock of thc driving ring engaging any of these power rollers. Ais has been fully explained above, each of the pistons is guided in its movement by its pair of guide wheels 3S cro-acting with and traveling on the parallel `guides 1 6. Obviously, then, this improved device, though simple in construction, effectively and efficiently transforms the rotar)Y motion of the shaft Sito the rcciprocatory .motion of the various pistons,

the driving ring acting as a sort of universal pitman or connecting rod for the entire se ries of power rollers and pistons. The device can be worked just as readily in the opposite manner; that is, the power may be supplied to the pistons orplungers to ,cause their reciprocation, as by means of steam of explosive compounds admitted to the cham bers, which reciprocatory movement is changed by means of this improved mechanism into the rotary ,movementvof the shaft 31, whose rotation the actuation of the series of pistons accomplishes.

Whereas I have herein shown and described in detail the various features and vtransforming the sliding movement of the pistons into the rotary movementof the shaft,

It should be fu-rther understood that many minor mechanical changes may be made in the structure set forth herein'without departure from the essence of this invention, and without sacrificing any of its benefits and advantages.

IVhereas in this application and the drawings forming a part thereofl I have described andshown a driving ring rotatable von the cranked or off-set portion of the power shaft, it is to be understood that the device can be constructed with such a ring or actuating part turned up or formed integral on the crank portion of the shaft. It is furthermore to be understood that this in-v vention is not limited to the floating piston retracting rings hereinset/forth, since many other constructions will occur to those skilled in the art which will perform satisfactorily the function intended.

I claim:

1. A mechanical' movement comprising in combination, a plurality of reciprocatory power pistons arranged in thev same plane, a rotary power shaft having a crank portion in said plane, rolling power transmitting means between said pistons and said crank portion of the shaft including. an A'anti-fric-y tion power roller on each'ofsaidy .pistons co- -operatingwith the' crank part of said shaft, a secondary roller on each piston, and a ring encircling and common to said secondary rollers and adapted by co-action therewith to maintain all of said power rollers in eontact with the 'crank part of said shaft. substantially as described. L. it mechanical movement comprising in combination, a plurality of reciprocatory power pistons arranged in the same plane.r av rotary power shaft having a crank portion in said plane, rolling power transmitting` means between 'said pistons and said crank part of the shaft including a. power roller on each of said pistons contacting and co-A operating with the crank part of said shaft, a Heating ring T-shaped in crosssection. and a pair of secondary rollers on each of said pistons engaged and encircled b v said ring, the latter by (2o-actionl with said secondary rollers operating to maintain' the power rollers in contact atall times with the crank part of said shaft.

A mechanical movement comprising in combination, a reciprocatory power piston, a rotary power shaft having a crank portion in the plane of said piston. a power roller on said piston co-acting with the 'crank part of said shaft, guides, and a freely-rotatable 'guide wheel on said piston coperating with said guides to assist in maintaining the straight line travel of the piston, substantially as described.

e. A mechanical movement,comprising in combination, a plurality of reciprocatory power pistons arranged in the same plane, a rotary power shaft having` a crank portion in said plane, a power roller mounted centrally vof each of said pistons, all of said rollers coperating with the crank part of said shaft, guides on opposite sides of each of said pistons, guide wheels'on each piston co-acting withV said guides, and means to maintain said power rollers in contact with; the crank part of said shaft, substantially as describe y 5. A mechanical movement comprising in combination a rotary power shaft having a crank part, a driving ring freely rotatable on the crank part of said shaft, a piston, a roller on said piston having continuous contact with .said driving ring, and means to maintain said rolleranddriving ring in contact, substantially as described. 6. A mechanical movement comprising in combination a power shaft having a crank part. a driving ringfreely rotatable on.V the crank part of said shaft, a piston provided with a roller, said roller contacting with the lio acting with said guides carried bythe pisv ton,psubstantially as described. .V

7. A mechanical 'movement comprising 1n combination a circular series of power pistons, a rotary power shaft having a crank part, rolling power transmitting. means between said pistons and said crank part, Vsaid means including a roller on each piston cooperating with said crank part, and means coperating with and common to all of said rollers and maintaining the latter in contact with the crank part of the shaft, substantially as described.

S. A mechanical movement comprising in combination a rotary power shaft having a crank part, a driving ring r'otatably mounted on said crank part, a series of pistons, pins carried by said pistons, said pins being parallel to said shaft, rollers on said pins having operative contact with the periphery of said driving ring, other rollers on said pins, and a piston retracting ring the inner surface of which is contacted by said other rollers, substantially as described.

9. In a mechanical movement, the combination of a reciprocator l powerpiston, a transverse pin carried y said piston, a power roller on said pin, and a guide roller carried by the piston in axial alinement vWith the power roller, substantially as described.

10. In a mechanical movement, the combination of a reciprocatory power piston, a transverse pin carrie'd by the piston, a guide roller, and a p'ower roller on said pin and in axial alinement with one another, substantially as described.

l1. In a mechanical movement, the combination of a reciprocatory power piston, a transverse pin carried by the piston, a guide roller carried by the piston, and fixed guides for said roller, said guides being straight and located substantially roller, substantially as described.

RICHARD J. MCCARTY. l

Witnesses:

F. W. MEYER, L. J. HENSLEY.

arallelA `to the axis of the piston, substantially as 

